Delhi police arrests IAS coaching centre owner, coordinator after basement flooding claims three lives

NEW DELHI: Delhi police on Sunday arrested two persons, the owner and coordinator of the IAS coaching centre, where three students lost their lives after the basement of the institute was filled with water.

“The owner and coordinator of the coaching centre are arrested,” said Delhi Police.

Three UPSC aspirants died in the basement of a popular IAS coaching institute in Delhi’s Old Rajender Nagar yesterday after the basement was flooded with water.

#WATCH | Old Rajender Nagar incident | Delhi: Rescue and search operations are underway at the IAS coaching centre in Old Rajender Nagar where three students lost their lives after the basement was filled with water.

(Morning visuals from the spot) pic.twitter.com/nlH2RAR4nW

— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2024

Earlier today, the police identified the victims of the coaching centre incident as Shreya Yadav, a native of Ambedkar Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana; and Nivin Dalwin, a resident of Kerala’s Ernakulam, DCP Central M Harshavardhan told ANI.

#WATCH | Old Rajender Nagar Incident | “Three people have died. Why will we hide anything? We assure you that we will do whatever is legally possible. The investigation is on…,” says Additional DCP Sachin Sharma to protesting students

3 students lost their lives after the… pic.twitter.com/V82Xq21mQ7

— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2024

Police have also informed family members of the deceased. Police have sent their bodies to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML) for an autopsy.

Meanwhile, former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chief Swati Maliwal has alleged corruption in the operation of illegal basements in the city.

“Who will take responsibility for the deaths of three students due to drowning in the basement? Students reveal that they had been demanding drain cleaning repeatedly for ten days, but no action was taken. How can illegal basements operate without corruption? How can extra floors be added? How can encroachments on roads and drains occur without bribes? It is clear that there is no need to follow safety rules, just pay money, and the work gets done,” Maliwal said in a post on X.

“Just sit in AC rooms every day and conduct ‘Important Press Conferences’. They are not ready to work on the ground. Haven’t they learned anything from the deaths due to electric shocks in Patel Nagar a few days ago?” she added in the post.

Notably, the Old Rajender Nagar incident comes days after a UPSC aspirant was electrocuted on a waterlogged Delhi street. (ANI)